As we enter the 2009 Major League Baseball season, many baseball fans do so with a renewed sense of hope in their team. Some enter it with the same cynicism that this year will be just as bad as the last, or even worse. Some fans are also disenchanted over the steroid and drug scandal surrounding the game and are either so thoroughly disgusted they’ve stopped watching, or don’t believe anything they see can ever be achieved cleanly again.
In cooperation with some of the other brilliant minds at FanIQ, here is our projected “All-Clean Team” for 2009. These are all players projected to be starting on an active MLB roster this season. They are all superstars or stars-in-the-making. Most importantly, they all came up in the system under the current drug-testing program, so we are (fairly) certain they are not among those who have or are still using steroids, HGH, or other performance-enhancing drugs.
Please keep in mind if your favorite player isn’t on here, we are not suggesting he’s on the juice. This is simply a team of talented young players to watch for 2009 that you can feel good about rooting for, as their performance should be genuine.
Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants – RHP #55Age: 24 (Will turn 25 on June 15) -
Ht: 5-11 -
Wt: 170 -
Bats: Left -
Throws: Right
2008 Season: 18-5, 2.62 ERA, 265 K, 1.17 WHIP
Tim Lincecum is a certified stud pitcher and showed it with a 2008 campaign that saw him earn a spot on the All-Star team and win the NL Cy Young award in just his second MLB season. His league-leading 265 strikeouts and .221 opposing batting average over 227 innings was a huge bright spot for an otherwise disappointing year for the Giants. Lincecum's deceptive delivery, excellent fastball, and filthy changeup make for a long day for opposing hitters. There is also talk that he is working in a slider for 2009. With the addition of first-ballot future Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson to the Giants roster, Lincecum may find a mentor in the five-time Cy Young award winner. The Big Unit has a pretty wicked slide piece himself.
With the disappointing start to Barry Zito’s career in a Giants uniform, it appears they still may have found their ace in Lincecum. Assuming he is healthy, the amount of hardware this kid may have in his trophy case when all is said and done could be staggering.
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies – RHP #35Age: 25 -
Ht: 6-3 -
Wt: 192 -
Bats/Throws: Left
2008 Season: 14-10, 3.09 ERA, 196K, 1.08 WHIP
Hamels, the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP, worked 227.1 innings and improved his strikeouts by 19 and lowered both his ERA and opposing batting average considerably over the 2007 season. His effort in the World Series against a white-hot, made-for-Cinderella-story Tampa Bay Rays team was nothing short of spectacular. Hamels won two games in the Series, going 4-0 for the entire preseason with an ERA under 2.
The big lefty brings a traditional fastball/curveball/changeup repertoire to the mound. His over-the-top delivery and mid-90’s heat can give opposing hitters fits. Right-handed hitters hit just .215 against him in 2008. Lefties had a better season against Hamels, touching him up for a .262 average.
The Phillies locked up Hamels with a 3-year, $20.5 million contract that was signed just before spring training began. He will be the clear ace in a projected rotation of Hamels, Brett Myers, Joe Blanton, the ageless Jamie Moyer and young right-hander Kyle Kendrick. He does have a history of arm-related injuries and 2008 marked the first year he did not spend time on the disabled list. When Cole Hamels is healthy, he’s one of the best left-handed starters available. The question will be if his good health will continue in 2009.
CL – Huston Street, Colorado Rockies – RHP #16Age: 25 (Will turn 26 on August 2) -
Ht: 6-0 -
Wt: 200 -
Bats/Throws: Right
2008 Season (with Oakland): 7-5, 18 Saves, 3.73 ERA, 69K, 1.21 WHIP
A lot of people might not remember that Huston Street won the 2005 AL Rookie of the Year in Oakland in 2005. Street was traded in November 2008 to Colorado as part of the deal that brought Matt Holliday to Oakland. After 60 saves over his first two seasons, Street has been plagued with injuries; managing only 16 and 18 saves for 2007 and 2008 respectively. An injured hip flexor healed in September and Street managed a nice finish to his 2008 campaign, which probably increased his trade value to get Holliday.
Street is projected to battle Manny Corpas for the closer role, but most experts agree he’ll get the job barring injury as Corpas and his 4.52 2008 ERA isn’t very impressive. If Street can stay off the DL, he still has the ability to save 30 or more for the Rockies in 2009. I’m not sure what the rest of the team is going to look like, but Street appears to be healthy for the first time in going on three seasons, and is expected to return to his 2005-06 form.
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins - #7Age: 25 (Will turn 26 on April 19) -
Ht: 6-5 -
Wt: 225 -
Bats: Left -
Throws: Right
2008 Season: .328 AVG, 9 HR, 85 RBI, .413 OBP
It would figure that I choose Mauer for this spot and then a report comes out today that he may begin 2009 on the disabled list due to surgery complications.
Mauer is the best offensive catcher since Mike Piazza. In fact, besides the career home runs, he’s better. Mauer is a career .317 hitter, two-time All-Star, batting champion, and Silver Slugger award winner. He also collected his first gold glove in 2008 AND finished fourth in the All-Star MVP balloting. He’s an absolute beast at his position, and he plays 81 home games in one of the worst ballparks in the league. This is the type of player you can make the face of your franchise or your league.
Hopefully Mauer’s complications are minimal and he will be healthy and able to play soon. He is a rising star in MLB and with the Twins opening a new yard in 2010, this is the kind of player you want to build a franchise around and get that ballpark filled. Memo to the Twins front office: lock this guy up for as long as you possibly can. He’s going to do a lot of great things before his career is over.
First Baseman: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers - #28Age: 24 (Will turn 25 on May 9) -
Ht: 5-11 -
Wt: 268 -
Bats: Left -
Throws: Right
2008 Season: .276 AVG, 34 HR, 102 RBI, .372 OBP
Prince is the biggest vegetarian I’ve seen since Forrest Whitaker, but whatever. Big man can swing the stick. I don’t know if Fielder is really 268 pounds, but I do know the guy can flat-out rake. He’s already the youngest to ever hit 50 home runs and has established himself as the de-facto leader of a Brewers team full of potential young stars like J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and Tony Gwynn, Jr. Like most big, power-hitting first basemen, Fielder is a liability in the field and led the league in errors in 2007 with 14, and committing 17 more in 2008. If he ever catches on in the American League as a DH, I fear for the safety of opposing pitchers.
One question about Prince Fielder will be how his change to a strict vegan diet will affect his conditioning and power. He has only been practicing this dietary change since the start of the 2008 season. Another question will be about his maturity. After a dust-up with a teammate in August of last year, it will be interesting to see how he has grown as a player and as a leader in the clubhouse. Fielder signed a two-year, $18 million contract in January, so he’ll be swinging for the fences in Milwaukee for at least that long. Can he lead the Brew Crew to the postseason again?
Second Baseman: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox - #15Age: 25 (Will turn 26 on August 17) -
Ht: 5-9 -
Wt: 180 -
Bats/Throws: Right
2008 Season: .326 AVG, 17 HR, 83 RBI, .376 OBP
I believe Pedroia to be 5-9 about as much as I believe Prince Fielder weighs 268 pounds. Regardless, the bite-sized terror has brought home armfuls of hardware in his first two seasons in the majors. The 2007 Rookie of the Year also added a World Series ring to his trophy case, and in 2008, the man they called “Pedroia the Destroyah” in Boston completely blew up. Even in the face of Manny Ramirez leaving for Los Angeles and David Ortiz contending with an injured wrist and surgery during the season, Pedroia almost single-handedly kept the Red Sox in post-season contention. Because of this, he was awarded an All-Star selection, a Gold Glove for his slick work with the leather at second, and finally the 2008 American League MVP.
Pedroia, who was once told he was too small for baseball, draws parallels to another legendary Red Sox player, Dominic DiMaggio. The Little Professor was also “listed” at 5-9 and went on to make seven All-Star teams. He did not, however, win an MVP award. Fans, you may be looking at the best defensive second baseman since Roberto Alomar and the best offensive second baseman since Ryne Sandberg. Dustin Pedroia has the talent, the heart and competitive fire that is often missing from this game.
After the season, he quickly agreed to a six-year, $40.5 million contract with Boston, with a team option for 2015, assuring that second base is the most stable it has been since Jerry Remy played there.
Third Baseman: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays - #3Age: 23 -
Ht: 6-2 -
Wt: 210 -
Bats/Throws: Right
2008 Season: .272 AVG, 27 HR, 85 RBI, .343 OBP
The legend surrounding Evan Longoria has been spun since his time as a college player at Long Beach State and his semi-pro summer games in the storied Cape Cod League. Very few prospects of Longoria’s caliber truly live up to the hype, but in this case, he has been just as good as advertised.
Longoria was called up in early April, 2008 when Willy Aybar went down with an injury and despite going on the DL on August 11 with a broken wrist, he was unanimously voted as the American League Rookie of the Year. Nobody has been chosen unanimously since Nomar Garciaparra won the honor in 1997. Longoria was also essential to the Tampa Bay Rays’ improbable post-season run to their first-ever World Series appearance. Returning from injury, Longoria hit six home runs and drove in thirteen, leading the Rays to beat two powerhouse teams in the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox to reach the World Series, where they eventually fell to Philadelphia in five games.
In April of 2008, the Rays made a very smart move, signing Longoria to a six-year $17.5 million contract with three option years. This keeps much of the Rays’ young nucleus together and should assure some very competitive baseball in Tampa after many years of 100-loss seasons and futile efforts to win.
Shortstop: Jose Reyes, New York Mets - #7Age: 25 (Will turn 26 on June 11) -
Ht: 6-1 -
Wt: 200 -
Bats: Switch -
Throws: Right
2008 Season: .297 AVG, 16 HR, 68 RBI, .358 OBP, 56 SB
Where base running, the triple and the stolen base have become a dying era in the current age of professional baseball, it is alive and well in the National League. One of the best to play the “small ball” game is Jose Reyes. In five seasons, he is already the Mets’ all-time career leader in stolen bases and triples. He has led the NL in those categories in three of the last four seasons. Reyes is more than just a slap-hitting, speedy leadoff man though. He can hit the long ball as needed, with respectable leadoff totals of 19, 12, and 16 dingers his last three seasons.
Reyes is a fan favorite and a dynamic and exciting player for New York. Combined with 3B David Wright, they might be the best 3B/SS combination in baseball. The one criticism of Reyes is his effort and maturity. He has had a history of losing focus when the Mets are doing poorly and not running out ground balls or being silly in the dugout when the situation isn’t appropriate. Reyes made a commitment to work on this in 2008 and it seems he has grown out of much of these antics. He is still a very charismatic player who has fun in the dugout, but the tantrums, sulking, and defeatist style of play has seemed to disappear.
The sky is the limit for Jose Reyes. He has all the tools to become a Hall of Fame caliber player. He is beloved by the Mets faithful and is celebrated by the strong Latin American population in the borough of Queens, which I saw firsthand. He will no doubt bring the love-fest from Shea Stadium across the parking lot to shiny new Citi Field in 2009.
Outfield: Hunter Pence, Houston Astros - #9Age: 25 (Will turn 26 April 13) -
Ht: 6-4 -
Wt: 210 -
Bats/Throws: Right
2008 Season: .269 AVG, 25 HR, 83 RBI, .318 OBP
The big Texan out-performed his 2007 rookie campaign with more home runs and RBI, but his average dropped sharply from .322 to .269 in 2008. Pence finished second or third behind Ryan Braun in the voting for just about every single rookie award available in 2007, and hopes remain high for the outfielder who now enters his third season.
What was very impressive about the kid was that he played some Gold Glove-caliber defense in 2008, earning a .997 fielding percentage with only one error in 154 games and 357 total chances in Right Field for the Astros. If Pence can exercise some plate discipline, he could have a strong 2009.
Outfield: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers - #27Age: 24 (Will turn 25 September 27) -
Ht: 6-2 -
Wt: 230 -
Bats/Throws: Right
2008 Season: .290 AVG, 18 HR, 76 RBI, .340 OPS, 35 SB
Matt Kemp is a machine, and it won’t be long before he adds a 30-30 or maybe even a 40-40 season to his resume. He’s the kind of guy that you could feel comfortable batting leadoff or cleanup, depending on the situation. He’s built like an NFL wide receiver and runs like one too. Kemp has some pop in his bat and is very fast on the base paths. I fear for the catcher who has to block home plate with this big guy bearing down from third. He’s also strong in the field as well, committing just two errors in the outfield last season.
As 2009 is essentially Matt Kemp’s first as a full-time starting outfielder for the Dodgers, it will be interesting to see what he does with the extra at-bat opportunities. If he can stay healthy, I think a 20-20 season is almost guaranteed at this point. He reminds me of Garrett Anderson but with more steals. I believe Kemp will be an essential piece to any hopes the Dodgers have of making the playoffs again.
Outfield: Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians - #24Age: 26 (Will turn 27 on August 2) -
Ht: 6-2 -
Wt: 200 -
Bats/Throws: Left
2008 Season: .268 AVG, 33 HR, 90 RBI, .374 OBP, 38 SB
Alright, maybe the phrase “five-tool player” is often overused, but if there is ANY guy it describes, it’s Grady Sizemore. He’s already a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner, along with the 2008 Silver Slugger Award. On top of that, he joined the 30-30 club in 2008, hitting 33 HR and stealing 38 bases. In the field, he has as many errors as years of MLB service. Five. This includes just one error in 386 total chances in center field in 2008. Much like Matt Kemp, he is an excellent composition of power and speed. I had an opportunity to see Sizemore play in Boston against the Red Sox on Memorial Day two years ago. He is definitely one of the next generation of players worth paying admission to see.
Much like Joe Mauer, Grady Sizemore is the type of player that could represent a "new MLB" trying to get away from the negativity of the last ten years or so. He is a young, talented player with a strong work ethic and a clean off-field reputation. He represents the diverse cuture of the game as the son of an African-American father and a Caucasian mother. He's the type of player that fans of any age, background, or generation could respect and appreciate.
Designated Hitter: Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals - #16Age: 22 (Will turn 23 on April 18) -
Ht: 6-1
- Wt: 240 -
Bats/Throws: Right
2008 Season: .275 AVG, 11 HR, 55 RBI, .324 OBP
This was initially meant as a joke. I didn’t know much about Butler until I saw him on TV during a game last season. He had to have one of the worst physiques I have ever seen on a baseball player. I figured he was just some big .210 hitting goon the Royals found in the minors to try and replace some of the power they lost when Mike Sweeney finally got out of there. I was curious, so I read up on him. Butler was a first-round pick and MVP of the 2006 All-Star Futures game. I wasn’t seeing it.
I saw this kid who had a uniform on that looked a size or two too small, and on top of that he was fat. Not even like the still kind of intimidating, NFL lineman kind of fat where it’s a big, broad-shouldered guy with a gut, but the lumpy, awkward kind where he looked like he was shot out of a soft-serve machine.
Then, I saw him hit.
Butler is probably going to be this generation’s Gorman Thomas or maybe a poor man’s, right-handed Adam Dunn. He is a straight-up destroyer of left-handed pitching. In 443 at-bats last year, he hit right-handers at a .244 clip with 3 homers, but feasted on lefties for a .340 average and 8 bombs.
Apparently the big fella has employed a personal trainer in the off-season, has cut about 15 pounds and aims to gain some agility in the field when he plays first base. A 22-year old right-handed slugger at about 225 pounds sounds pretty dangerous to me. If the weight loss translates to some extra bat speed to get around on those right-handers, Butler could be a very pleasant surprise for Royals fans.
All of these players are worth watching and should entertain Major League Baseball fans for at least the next ten years or more. My hope is with the existing drug testing policy that these guys will remain clean and that their achievements will be reached honorably and without controversy or accusations of wrongdoing.
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